, also known as , is a

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

temple in

Asuka Asuka may refer to: People * Asuka (name), a list of people * Asuka (wrestler), professional wrestler * Asuka (wrestler, born 1998), professional wrestler also known as Veny outside of Japan Places In Japan * , an area in Yamato Province (now ...

Nara The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an " independent federal agency of the United States government within the executive branch", charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It i ...

. Asuka-dera is regarded as one of the oldest temples in Japan.

Temple complex

A number of records refer to the origin of the temple, such as the '' Nihongi'' and ''Fusō-ryakuki''. The original buildings of what was then called Hōkō-ji were constructed in 588, shortly after the introduction of Buddhism to Japan, under the orders of

Soga no Umako was the son of Soga no Iname and a member of the powerful Soga clan of Japan. Umako conducted political reforms with Prince Shōtoku during the rules of Emperor Bidatsu and Empress Suiko and established the Soga clan's stronghold in the go ...

.Aston, William. (2005)
''Nihongi'', p. 101.
/ref> The temple was built using the guidance of masters and artisans from the ancient Korean kingdom of

Baekje Baekje or Paekche (, ) was a Korean kingdom located in southwestern Korea from 18 BC to 660 AD. It was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, together with Goguryeo and Silla. Baekje was founded by Onjo, the third son of Goguryeo's founder Jum ...

. Following the transfer of the capital from

to Heijō-kyō (now

Nara city is the capital city of Nara Prefecture, Japan. As of 2022, Nara has an estimated population of 367,353 according to World Population Review, making it the largest city in Nara Prefecture and sixth-largest in the Kansai region of Honshu. Nara is ...

), the buildings of Asuka-dera were also removed from the original site in

in 718 CE, and developed into a huge temple under the name of

Gangō-ji is an ancient Buddhist temple, that was once one of the powerful Seven Great Temples, in Nara, Japan. History The original foundation of the temple was by Soga no Umako in Asuka, as Asuka-dera. The temple was moved to Nara in 718, following t ...

. The original site of Hōkō-ji was also maintained as a temple, which survives into modern times.Martin, John ''et al.'' (1993)
''Nara: A Cultural Guide to Japan's Ancient Capital,'' p. 121
The main object of worship at Asuka-dera is the bronze Great Buddha, which said to have been made by Kuratsukuri no Tori in the early seventh century. The statue is designated as an Important Cultural Property. Asuka dera Prince Shotoku

References

Bibliography

Aston Aston is an area of inner Birmingham, England. Located immediately to the north-east of Central Birmingham, Aston constitutes a ward within the metropolitan authority. It is approximately 1.5 miles from Birmingham City Centre. History Aston wa ...

, William G. (2005). ''Nihongi: Chronicles of Japan from the Earliest Times to A.D. 697.'' Tokyo: Charles E. Tuttle Company. * Brown, Delmer M. and Ichirō Ishida, eds. (1979). Jien,_c._1220.html"_;"title="Jien.html"_;"title="Jien">Jien,_c._1220">Jien.html"_;"title="Jien">Jien,_c._1220_''Gukanshō.html" ;"title="Jien">Jien,_c._1220.html" ;"title="Jien.html" ;"title="Jien">Jien, c. 1220">Jien.html" ;"title="Jien">Jien, c. 1220 ''Gukanshō">Jien">Jien,_c._1220.html" ;"title="Jien.html" ;"title="Jien">Jien, c. 1220">Jien.html" ;"title="Jien">Jien, c. 1220 ''Gukanshō (The Future and the Past, a translation and study of the Gukanshō, an interpretative history of Japan written in 1219).'' Berkeley: University of California Press. * Martin, John H. and Phyllis G. Martin. (1993)
''Nara: A Cultural Guide to Japan's Ancient Capital.''
Tokyo:

Tuttle Publishing Tuttle Publishing, originally the Charles E. Tuttle Company, is a book publishing company that includes Tuttle, Periplus Editions, and Journey Editions.

. * Shimura, Izuru. (1998). ''

Kōjien is a single-volume Japanese dictionary first published by Iwanami Shoten in 1955. It is widely regarded as the most authoritative dictionary of Japanese, and newspaper editorials frequently cite its definitions. As of 2007, it had sold 11 mil ...

'', 5th edition. Tokyo:

Iwanami Shoten is a Japanese publishing company based in Tokyo.Louis Frédéric, ''Japan Encyclopedia'', Harvard University Press, 2005, p. 409. Iwanami Shoten was founded in 1913 by Iwanami Shigeo. Its first major publication was Natsume Sōseki's novel ''Ko ...

. (cloth) * Ponsonby-Fane, Richard Arthur Brabazon. (1959)
''The Imperial House of Japan.''
Kyoto: Ponsonby Memorial Society
OCLC 194887
* Titsingh, Isaac, ed. (1834). iyun-sai_Rin-siyo/Hayashi_Gahō,_1652.html" ;"title="Hayashi_Gahō.html" ;"title="iyun-sai Rin-siyo/Hayashi Gahō">iyun-sai Rin-siyo/Hayashi Gahō, 1652">Hayashi_Gahō.html" ;"title="iyun-sai Rin-siyo/Hayashi Gahō">iyun-sai Rin-siyo/Hayashi Gahō, 1652 ''Nipon o daï itsi ran; ou
Annales des empereurs du Japon.
' Paris: Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland. * Varley, H. Paul , ed. (1980). Kitabatake_Chikafusa,_1359.html" ;"title="Kitabatake_Chikafusa.html" ;"title="Kitabatake Chikafusa">Kitabatake Chikafusa, 1359">Kitabatake_Chikafusa.html" ;"title="Kitabatake Chikafusa">Kitabatake Chikafusa, 1359 ''Jinnō Shōtōki ("A Chronicle of Gods and Sovereigns: Jinnō Shōtōki of Kitabatake Chikafusa" translated by H. Paul Varley).'' New York: Columbia University Press.

External links

Asuka Historical Museum website

Gango-ji in context of Nara tourism
{{DEFAULTSORT:Asuka-Dera Buddhist temples in Nara Prefecture Historic Sites of Japan Buddhist archaeological sites in Japan Buddhist relics Buddhism in the Asuka period

Temple complex

See also

References

Bibliography

External links